Future Pathways

At the end of their Fifth year, pupils at Robert Gordon’s College are expected to undertake one week of work experience.  Pupils are encouraged and supported to find their own work experience placements in their preferred career areas rather than the school allocating placements for each individual pupil.  This allows pupils the opportunity to find a placement that engages and motivates them whilst also gaining valuable transferable skills and experience of job seeking through letter writing, CV writing, etc. that they will need later in life.   

If pupils in any year group would like to organise further work experience, especially pupils requiring additional work experience for university entry to specific courses, then we are happy to support this.  However, we encourage placements to take place during weekends, after school or during school holidays where possible.  Exceptions to this apply to work experience programmes run by organisations at specific times.  All NHS placement requests in Grampian hospitals for any career area must be applied for through our Universities & Careers team.  Pupils interested in studying Medicine should gain hospital experience through NHS Grampian’s “Doctors at Work” preferred summer work experience programme.  

We also encourage pupils to participate in volunteering and we would be more than happy to support pupils in seeking out suitable opportunities.

An apprenticeship is an excellent option for our school leavers to consider and our team are keen to support any pupils interested in following this pathway.  They are particularly suitable for pupils who may be interested in vocational career areas and/or prefer experiential learning; learning by doing and getting hands on experience.  They also allow pupils to develop new knowledge, skills and gain valuable work experience in a realistic workplace setting whilst at the same time gaining a recognised qualification at the end of it.  Many apprentices make good contacts that may help them progress to a permanent job, further training at college, a higher level apprenticeship or even university and there are now three different kinds of apprenticeships available in Scotland.

Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs)

These apprenticeships are offered by Further Education colleges, are studied over 2 years, offer work experience and are at the same level as a Higher.  They are growing in number, are based on Scotland’s economic needs and skills shortages and are normally completed alongside a more traditional curriculum whilst pupils remain at school.  On the successful completion of this apprenticeship pupils can go on to apply for a full-time job or Modern Apprenticeship, gain a place at college or apply to university.  It’s also a great way to try out a career to see if it’s a good fit.

Modern Apprenticeships (MAs)

Modern Apprenticeships allow pupils to learn new skills, work towards a qualification, gain valuable work experience and get paid at the same time.  There are more than 80 types of Modern Apprenticeships across hundreds of jobs and these areas will grow depending on Scotland’s economic needs and skills shortages.  

Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs)

These apprenticeships are aimed at people who would like to start earning money and have a job but would also like to gain a degree level qualification (up to Masters level) as well.

Every year we support pupils in making the transition to Further Education college. This is an excellent pathway for some pupils as it offers the opportunity to follow vocational routes that are not offered by other pathways.  Additionally, Further Education can provide a stepping stone to other pathways, such as university via an articulation route (often referred to as 2+2) where pupils would go on to study at college for one/two years and gain an HNC/HND before going on to complete their degree course at a university.  This route allows pupils the opportunity to graduate with the same degree in either the same/almost the same time as taking the university pathway directly.

Pupils at Robert Gordon’s College who have demonstrated an interest in applying to university courses around the world have always been supported with their applications.  Historically our pupils have attended universities in Europe, Canada and the USA, studying a variety of courses, including Medicine and Dentistry.  We provide our pupils with resources and advice to help them carry out the research needed so that they can make this decision as soon as possible so that sufficient time is available for both pupils and teachers to fully support their application.  

One of our former pupils, Mihika, has been particularly successful in securing a graduate position for a pharmaceutical company in Denmark, following the completion of her undergraduate degree in Public Health at Maastricht University, Netherlands and a masters degree in Epidemiology at Imperial College, London. 

Pupils who are interested in combining their academic and sporting ambitions are supported through the scholarship application process to universities and colleges around the world who have centres of sporting excellence enabling pupils to further develop in their chosen sport. 

We have a number of former pupils who have studied abroad whilst pursuing their sporting passions. Read more about Archie who was awarded a scholarship in New York where he is studying Psychology and Criminal Justice whilst pursuing his talent in swimming.

Gap Year opportunities are introduced to our Fifth year pupils at the start of the year with a presentation from a Gap Year provider.  They hear directly about the experiences of recently returned volunteers and have the opportunity to ask questions directly.  Additionally, we support pupils with ideas, resources and financial opportunities, which are tailored to the individual needs of the pupil.  A Gap Year pathway can be popular for pupils wanting to gain some additional experience before going to university and we have had pupils working as Healthcare Assistants within the NHS, Counsellors at Camp America and Project Trust volunteers abroad. 

The S6 Future Pathways Programme has been established to provide senior pupils with direct access to the extensive knowledge, experience, and support of the Robert Gordon’s alumni network. By connecting pupils with the expertise of the Gordonian community, the programme formalises opportunities for networking, mentoring, professional guidance, and career exploration.

Through these connections, young Gordonians are encouraged to draw on the insight of experienced alumni who can share first-hand perspectives on further education, career pathways, and the challenges and opportunities of life beyond school.

The programme reflects our commitment to preparing pupils for the future by equipping them not only with academic achievement but also with the networks, confidence, and practical understanding needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Pupils at Robert Gordon’s College benefit from access to a global educational community providing opportunities to learn from the experience of partners across the world which include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, RGC Corporate Partners, Institute of Physics, British International School of Houston, and the GAIL network.

In order to extend our learning environment, we have formed an alliance with schools in every continent of the world whose vision and ethos we share. Through this alliance, pupils and staff from each institution can experience living and working together in pursuit of a global objective: to learn from each other, to recognise a common humanity which transcends cultural and religious differences and to see one’s own culture from a different perspective.